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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was 38 weeks pregnant and had just gotten home that evening after my OB appointment, an adjustment at the chiropractor, and eating dinner at our local natural foods co-op. I was not experiencing any contractions when, suddenly, my water broke! It was 8 PM on Wednesday, November 30th. When I went to the bathroom to check, I noticed there was meconium mixed with the fluid. I called the hospital and spoke with the on-call midwife who told me to gather my things and come in. My husband and I arrived at the hospital at 8:30 PM and I vaguely noticed some light contractions through the check-in process. My husband went to my triage room while I went to the bathroom to give a urine sample and show them the pad I put on before leaving the house to collect the fluid that continued to pour out. As soon as they saw my pad, they admitted me to my labor/delivery/recovery room without me even stepping foot in my triage room. This is when it started to become more real to me that I was in labor and this is happening at some point! My contractions were still not very noticeable at this time, but once they became uncomfortable and started to pick up and I could tell when one started and ended, that's when I realized I was really in labor!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I knew I wanted a natural childbirth with no intervention or medication. Originally, I wanted a home birth (before even conceiving), but due to hereditary health risks, I knew it was the safer and wiser choice to deliver in a hospital. Thankfully, God placed the right people to be on call the night I went into labor! The C.N.M. on call when I was admitted called my regular OB to check with him regarding my health risk since my water broke before contractions and there was meconium in the fluid. He wanted me to start Pitocin right away, but she stood up for my wishes and recommended waiting a while to see if my body went into labor on its own (which it did!). Then, I was tired and in a lot of pain after 9 hours of labor through the night - most of the time standing. I wanted to give in and get an epidural so I could rest, but after getting checked and being at 7 cm, my husband encouraged me to keep going and that I could finish without medication - so I did. Last, most doctors at the hospital probably would have wanted me to deliver on my back. However, I was very opposed to being on my back (which is why I stood most of my labor), and any time I had to be on my back to get checked, contractions hurt so bad! Thankfully, the next person on call when shifts changed 2 hours before I delivered my son was also a C.N.M. and she just went with what I was already doing: going through transition and pushing on my knees while leaning over the head of the hospital bed, which was raised up, holding on to my husband who was behind the head of the bed.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Besides taking the hospital's childbirth education class and learning the process of what my body was physically going to go through, I did three things that helped prepare me for childbirth mentally, physically, and spiritually. First, I continued my barre exercises throughout the pregnancy when I could, but modified and did prenatal workouts. Second, I took The Tummy Team's prenatal core course, which helped me learn how to breathe to engage my core, specifically my transverse abdominis, which greatly helped me through each contraction, and through pushing effectively. Third, I worked through Angie Tolpin's book, "Redeeming Childbirth," which allowed me to prepare and focus spiritually before and during childbirth. I prayed and selected specific Scripture verses/passages to post at the hospital, and marked in my Bible to be read, as well as prepared a worship playlist of calming worship music to listen to while in labor. The lights were low and I had my salt lamp on diffusing local lavender essential oil. All of these things worked together to create a calm, peaceful, and successful childbirth experience.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was definitely surprised that my water broke first when I wasn't experiencing any contractions. In articles I read and the childbirth class I took, they say it is not like the movies where your water breaks first, but that your contractions is what will break your water later in labor, unless you are a rare case (AKA: me). I was also surprised that I did not like being in water during labor. We didn't try hydrotherapy until I was further along in labor, so maybe we did it too late because I was already in a routine of what was "my focus pattern" during contractions (breathing through each contraction while engaging my core, holding onto my husband while we faced each other, and my doula applying counter pressure to my lower back). I was also surprised how things progressed quite quickly once I was approaching transition. I surprised myself the first time I made a grunting/pushing noise during one of my contractions - I thought it was too soon!
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You can do it, mama! Prepare beforehand in all ways (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually), and have a good support system who knows your desires, is on your side, and will encourage and remind you of what your plan was during labor. Take it one contraction at a time, and keep reminding yourself that it does NOT last forever!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Standing and bouncing in early labor really helped move things along. I also found that going through contractions on the toilet also helped. In active labor, standing and holding onto my husband as we faced each other and my doula applying counter pressure to my lower back was the main relief through out my entire labor. Once I was in transition and pushing, I cried out to God in prayer and He got me through each contraction until my son was born.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
During transition, pushing, and delivery, I was on my knees on the hospital bed, with my hands holding onto the head of the bed, which was raised up.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Because I was on my knees with my back to my midwife, she handed my son to me through my legs and I reached down to bring him to me. I couldn't hold him high up because the cord was short. I sat back on my heels holding him to my stomach and was still quite shaken about everything my body just went through! It was a feeling of relief, shock, and just overwhelming emotion.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You can do it, mama! Prepare beforehand in all ways (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually), and have a good support system who knows your desires, is on your side, and will encourage and remind you of what your plan was during labor. Take it one contraction at a time, and keep reminding yourself that it does NOT last forever!
